WordPress is an awesome free open source tool that powers nearly 10% of the internet. The downside of this is that it’s a prime target for hackers. Ask anyone who’s been on WordPress for any length of time and they can probably tell you a horror story about getting hacked and the hours involved in cleaning up the mess. This post will help guide you in keeping your AppifyWP WordPress installation locked down and secure to prevent the headaches.
Keep your WordPress Installation Updated!
Leaving your WordPress site outdated for even a few days will make it venerable to attack.
Tools for automating WordPress updates
- Many hosting companies like Dreamhost or Bluehost offer automatic updates of WordPress installations. If your hosting company offers this, use it!
- Install a plugin that sends you an email when your WordPress installation becomes out of date
- Manually updating your theme is pretty easy too! You can do it from within your Admin console. Just make sure you backup your files and database first.
Keep your Plugins Updated
Outdated plugins can be another source of attacks. The plugins admin panel makes it easy to bulk update all of your plugins.
Mind your Folder and File permissions
One of the best ways to get hacked is to have a file or folder with 777 (read,write,execute all) permissions. If you’re not familiar with file and folder permissions, do yourself a favor and get up to speed on understanding and changing them. Check out this WordPress guide on
changing file permissions.
Delete unused Plugins and Themes
If you’re not using a theme or a plugin, delete it entirely. It’s one less thing you’ll have to worry about updating and maintaining, and these are also prone entry points for hacks.
WordPress Plugins for Improved Security